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By Government of Alberta

UPDATE 42

Alberta wildfire information update: August 15

Aug 15, 2024 | 4:40 PM

The Canadian Red Cross is providing an additional $500 in one-time financial assistance for residents of Jasper. This additional support will help with ongoing needs such as food, transportation or clean-up supplies as people begin returning home.

Orders and alerts

• An evacuation order for Jasper and Jasper National Park remains in effect.
• The Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada have announced a re-entry date of Aug. 16.
  • The return date is conditional on achieving and maintaining the re-entry criteria posted on the Municipality of Jasper’s website.
  • Re-entry will be limited to residents only and residents will need to show their Parks Canada-issued resident parking pass or self-declare. Entry to the community will be limited to the east entrance and anyone entering will need to show their resident re-entry guide to be granted access to the townsite.
  • Non-residents will be directed to drive through the park on Highway 16 without stopping.
  • A re-entry guide for residents is also available on the municipality’s website, and will be updated as information becomes available.
  • A re-entry welcome centre will be available at Commemoration Park (1324 Pyramid Road). Residents are encouraged to follow the Municipality of Jasper’s website and social media channels for re-entry updates.
• Reception centres in Grande Prairie, Calgary and Edmonton are open and continue to provide support to evacuees:
  • Grande Prairie reception centre: Holiday Inn and Suites, 9816 107 Street.
  • Calgary reception centre: Shouldice Arena, 1515 Home Road NW.
  • Edmonton reception centre: Kennedale Site Building #2, 12814 58 Street.
  • Agreements are in place with hosting communities until at least Aug. 24 to continue providing services and accommodations for those unable to return or unable to remain in Jasper following re-entry.
• An evacuation alert remains in effect for all three Little Red River Cree Nation communities (John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River) as a precaution to help ensure residents are prepared to leave again on short notice if required.
  • About 500 vulnerable people who are still evacuated will begin returning home over the weekend.

Current situation

• There are 121 wildfires currently burning across Alberta in the Forest Protection Area.
  • 8 are classified as out of control, 55 are being held and 58 are under control.
• The response is focused on the wildfires that pose a direct threat to human life, communities, critical infrastructure and major industrial facilities.
• According to Parks Canada, the wildfire in Jasper National Park remains classified as out of control.
  • This wildfire is estimated at more than 33,000 hectares.
  • Alberta’s government continues to support Parks Canada by providing overhead staff, crews, helicopters and heavy equipment. Air tankers are also available when needed.
  • Crews are working to fully contain the northwest perimeter of the wildfire near the townsite, which is currently 99 per cent contained. The entire wildfire perimeter is 78 per cent contained.
  • Precipitation is expected in the coming days.
• The Semo Complex wildfire HWF061 is still classified as out of control at more than 107,000 hectares in size.
  • It is about two kilometres from Highway 58, 13 kilometres from Garden River, 19 kilometres from John D’Or Prairie and 15 kilometres from Fox Lake.
  • More than 711 wildland firefighters and support personnel, 24 helicopters and more than 131 pieces of heavy equipment are currently working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
  • Warm conditions have led to some fire growth. Night-vision heli-tanking operations were conducted on the night of Aug. 13, along the southern perimeter.
  • The Canadian Armed Forces are now in High Level to support Semo Complex operations.
• Wildfires GWF 077 and GWF075 located in Saddle Hills County are both classified as out of control.
  • No significant growth or behaviour was observed on either of these wildfires yesterday.
• Windy conditions have carried smoke from active wildfires to other parts of the province. While Albertans may see increased levels of smoke in their area, it’s important to know that this does not always indicate a nearby wildfire or immediate safety concern.
• Flying a drone near or over wildfires endangers firefighters and delays firefighting operations. Doing so can result in an automatic court appearance for putting aircraft and people at risk. Please give firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely.
• Since Jan. 1, there have been 1,087 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, burning almost 660,000 hectares.
• Almost 1,900 Alberta firefighters and support staff are currently working in the province.
• In addition to provincial resources, Alberta has imported firefighters, support staff and equipment from other jurisdictions to support wildfire response and suppression efforts.
• More than 700 firefighting staff are contributing to the wildfire response from Canadian provinces, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Northwest Territories and the Yukon, and from countries including Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
• Air tankers may use water from nearby lakes to fight wildfires. If you are on the water and see an aircraft coming to collect water, please move to the shore. Failing to do so impedes firefighting efforts. Albertans who do not comply could face a mandatory court appearance.
• Information about wildfires can be found by visiting the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.

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Air quality

• Visit Wildfire Smoke Information for air quality monitoring information to make informed decisions about outdoor activities to protect your health. While wildfire smoke is affecting air quality in parts of Alberta, the presence of smoke does not necessarily mean there is fire near your community. Find information about the status of active wildfires and wildfire updates at Alberta Wildfire.

Fire bans

• A fire restriction will be put in place for the Fort McMurray Forest area as of 4 p.m. today. A fire restriction remains in place for the High Level Forest Area as well as parts of the Grande Prairie Forest Area. A fire advisory is in place for the Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche Forest Areas. Please confirm advisories, restrictions or bans for your area at alberta.ca/fire-bans.
• Cities, towns, villages and federal lands such as national parks have the authority to issue their own fire bans. A fire ban remains in place around Jasper National Park.
• Albertans should visit their local municipality’s website or social media to confirm if a fire ban is in effect in their area.
• All Albertans have a role to play in wildfire prevention. Albertans must follow all fire bans and restrictions to avoid new fire starts. If you see smoke or flames in the forest, call 310-FIRE to report it.
• Applying FireSmart principles to homes and property can mitigate the risk of wildfire damage. Removing flammable materials and vegetation around the property and preventing embers from accumulating can help protect your home from wildfires. To learn more, visit FireSmart Alberta.

Eligible for Emergency Evacuation Payments

• Residents affected by mandatory evacuation orders are eligible for one-time emergency evacuation payments of $1,250 for each adult and $500 for each child under the age of 18.
• Evacuees are encouraged to apply for these emergency payments online at evacuationpayment.alberta.ca, by calling the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992 or by visiting an Alberta Supports office for assistance. Locations can be found at alberta.ca/alberta-supports.
• Those in need of immediate emergency financial assistance can contact the Income Support Emergency Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135. The contact centre operates 24/7.

Red Cross financial supports for Jasper residents

• The Canadian Red Cross is now providing an additional $500 per household for people evacuated from their primary residence in Jasper.
• To access this assistance, people must be registered with the Red Cross at redcross.ca/albertawildfires or by calling 1-800-863-6582 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Insurance information

• Albertans are encouraged to contact their insurance representative if they have questions about insurance coverage during the wildfires.
• The Insurance Bureau of Canada has updated information about insurance during wildfires. Albertans affected by wildfires can visit their web page for information on property and auto insurance or contact their Consumer Information Centre:
  • Phone: 1-844-2ASK-IBC (1-844-227-5422)
  • Email: AskIBCWest@IBC.ca (Western and Pacific regions)

Roads and highways

• 511 Alberta is the best source of real time information as conditions change on our highways. Follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @511alberta.
• Alberta’s highways that are affected by the wildfires will open and close frequently as the safety situation varies in the weather conditions. Please be patient and respect the staff at the closure/detour sites – they are there with your safety in mind.

Jasper Area – Highway 16, 93 and 93A closures

• Both directions (east and west) of Highway 16 are open through Jasper National Park from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mountain Time.
  • These times are subject to change without notice and are dependent on fire behaviour and operational needs.
• No stopping is permitted through Jasper National Park.
  • Motorists are encouraged to travel prepared as services such as fuel, food and restrooms are not available in the park.
  • Fuel services are not available between Mount Robson and Hinton (distance between the two fueling points is about 165 km).
  • If travelling south on Highway 5, fuel is available in Valemount.
  • If travelling west to Prince George, fuel is available in McBride.
• The southern section of the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is open between Lake Louise, Saskatchewan Crossing and the Athabasca Glacier area of the Columbia Icefield.
  • The northern section of the Icefields Parkway remains closed from Highway 16 the to Athabasca Glacier area of the Columbia Icefield.
• Highway 93A remains closed.

Health

• Alberta Health Services (AHS) Emergency Medical Services has a crew staged at the Jasper National Park gates on a rotating basis, for as long as resources allow.
• Basic emergency department services were restored to the Seton-Jasper Healthcare Center on August 15 at 9 a.m. Restoration work on the remaining areas of the health center continues and is on schedule.
• For information about wildfire resources, including mental health, visit albertahealthservices.ca/news.

Education

• Jasper schools will not be ready to open for the scheduled start of the school year.
• Alberta Education is working with local school authorities to reopen the impacted schools as quickly and as safely as possible so students, teachers and staff can return to school in Jasper.
• Assessments of the school buildings indicate there is smoke and ash inside. This will need to be cleaned up and the air quality needs to be deemed safe before the schools can reopen.
• Work is already underway at both schools, and Alberta Education continues to work with the local authorities to expedite resources such as cleanup contractors and accommodations for teachers and support staff.
• More details on timelines for school reopening will be shared as updates are available.
• In the meantime, all Jasper students will have classrooms to go to at the start of the school year.
• The local school authorities are already preparing to welcome students in Hinton and Edson and bussing will be available. The Grande Yellowhead Public School Division is also planning to offer an online learning option for their students.
• Families can contact the local school authorities directly for information about school registration, transportation and school operations:
  • Grande Yellowhead Public School Division
  • Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord (please email jasper@centrenord.ab.ca)
• Families staying in other parts of the province can register their children to attend school in any community by contacting the local school authority. School authorities are ready to welcome these students.

Mental health and addiction resources

• Resources are available for Albertans struggling with their mental health or wanting to talk to someone about how they are feeling:
  • Call the AHS Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642 or visit ahs.ca/wildfire.
  • Call 211 or text INFO to 211 or visit ab.211.ca to access digital supports or find local services near you.
    • When calling 211, press 6 for immediate support. If you’re in B.C., dial 211 and say you’re from Alberta.
  • Call Counselling Alberta at 1-833-827-4230 or visit counsellingalberta.com for online counselling services.
• Addiction supports are also available:
  • Call the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 or Health Link at 811.
  • Call the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program at 1-844-383-7688 for same-day treatment with no fees, no waitlist.

Offers of Support

• Any companies, individuals or organizations that would like to offer support to those affected by the wildfires can email their offers to EmergencySupportOffers@gov.ab.ca.
• Albertans can also donate to Alberta Red Cross in support of wildfire evacuees.

Emergency Preparedness

• Get ready for emergencies and disasters by taking simple steps now. To be prepared, Albertans need to know what to do, where to go and have enough supplies for a week or more. Supplies include food, water, medications and important documents. Include supplies for pets as well.
• Read more about emergency preparedness.

Related information

• Active emergency updates
• Alberta Emergency Alerts
• Download the Alberta Emergency Alerts app
• Download the Alberta Wildfire app
• Wildfire smoke information